Implement for locally separating associated conductors in electric transmission lines



March 23, 1965 J. M. MCGUIRE 3,174,723

IMPLEMENT FOR LOCALLY SEPARATING ASSOCIATED CONDUCTORS IN ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION LINEs Filed April 22, 1963 INVENTOR G M M H P E S O J United States Patent Ofifice 3,174,123 Patented Mar. 23, 1965 3,174,723 IMPLEMENT FOR LOCALLY SEPARATING ASSD- CIATED @ONDUCTORS IN ELECTRIC TRANS- MISdION LINES Joseph M. McGuire, 2814 Hargrave St., Philadelphia, Pa. Filed Apr. 22, 1963, Ser. No. 274,706 7 Claims. (Cl. 254131) In modern electric transmission systems secondary energy for delivery to consumers is usually alternating current at about 240 volts evenly divided between two insulated conductors which are thus at a potential of about 120 v. each with respect to a third neutral or grounded one. More particularly it is the general practice to use a stranded aluminum and steel cable for the neutral conductor or messenger with insulated copper conductors either tightly Wound in elongated spirals about it or snugly lashed to it by a separate lashing wire whereby their principal support is derived from the cable and relatively little tension imposed upon the copper conductors themselves. However they must be locally separated from the cable and from each other to enable other conductors to be spliced to them as when a service connection is to be made; moreover it is becoming increasingly the practice to splice such lines to hot or fully energized conductors when practical, and means for holding the conductors locally in spaced relation to permit such splicing therefore must be devoid of risk of short circuits.

United States Patent 2,841,364 issued July 1, 1958 to Donald L. Pratt discloses an implement intended to facilitate separation of a pair of intertwined conductors from a messenger associated with them to enable them to be spliced into, but it subjects the insulation on the conductors to severe and often damaging abrasion, is unstable and difiicult to manipulate, and perhaps for these and possibly other reasons has not gone into general use.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a novel implement especially suited for locally spreading or separating normally contacting portions of a pair of insulated conductors from each other and from a usually uninsulated messenger or neutral conductor about which they are wound or to which they are lashed or otherwise secured.

A further object is to provide an implement of this character adapted for spreading three normally contacting wires to dispose them locally at spaced points corresponding substantially to the vertices of a triangle whereby each is freed spatially from the others so work upon it can be performed without interference due to the presence of the others.

Another object is to provide an implement which may be readily manipulated to separate locally the strands of a three-strand cable or the like and comprising means for releasably locking its principal elements in strand separating position to facilitate such operations as the splicing of the ends of other strands respectively to them.

Other purposes, objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear or will be understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment of it wherein reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my implement shown in operative association with a fragmentarily illustrated typical electric energy service line comprising two insulate-d conductors and an uninsulated messenger preparatory to separation of the three components by manipulation of the implement;

FIG. 2 is a corresponding perspective after spreading of the components;

FIG. 3 is a face view of one of the two principal elements of the implement, and

FIG. 4 is a like view of the other such element carrying locking means as hereinafter more fully described.

More particularly, in the drawing a typical bundled secondary wiring construction is indicated comprising energized conductors C enclosed within appropriate insula tion I which are twisted with, lashed to or otherwise normally held in contact with a neutral usually uninsulated conductor or messenger cable M which is preferably of tensile strength considerably greater than conductors C to which it therefore affords primary support between elevated anchoring structures between which the bundled secondary wiring is stretched. It will be understood the term bundled is herein used generically to designate an assembly of a plurality of conductors whether twisted together or held in substantially parallel relation by lashing wire or other appropriate means (not shown) and that when a lashing wire or the like is used for the purpose it is unwound from the line for a short distance on either side of the proposed site of the work to be done as a preliminary to introducing my spreading implement among the conductors in the manner shown in FIG. 1.

The implement itself comprises complementary platelike members 1, 2 of glass fiber reinforced plastic, 8. phenol formaldehyde condensation product or other suitable dielectric material /s to A1" or so thick and as they, save as hereinafter described, are identical in conformation, the same numerals with the addition of a prime in the case of member 7;, will be used to designate corresponding portions of each.

Considering the members, therefore, in the positions of FIGS. 3 and 4, each roughly approximates an inverted L in shape and comprises a foot 3 and a leg 4 forming a downwardly extending handle. Toward the extremity or toe of its laterally projecting foot the member is provided with a slot 6 having a rounded bottom and directed generally upward in approximate parallelism with the leg or handle, the width of the slot being sulficient to readily receive one of the insulated conductors which the implement is to be used to separate. The upper periphery of the toe portion proximate each slot is rounded off to form a book 7 and thence is returned in a slightly outwardly bulging curve to define a cam surface 8 which terminates in a sharply upwardly curved surface 9 to form a jaw 10 projecting outwardly from the heel of the member in general alignment with the leg or handle.

Plate members 1, 2 are pivotally secured together by any suitable means such as a bolt, pin or grommet 12 passing through holes 13 in the members, the holes being so disposed that when handles 4 are aligned as in FIG. 2 the opening defined by jaws 10 is of a size to readiiy receive the messenger wire of the conductor assembly.

To hold or lock the handles in alignment when desired appropriate means are provided, conveniently a preferably metal ring 15 slidable longitudinally in a recess 1s formed near the end of the handle on one of the members, for example 2, and adapted to seat over the correspondingly reduced end of the somewhat shorter handle of the other member 1.

When it is desired to locally separate the assembled conductors C and messenger M the lashing wire or other means utilized for holding them together is unwound or otherwise freed from the locality of the desired separation, the members of the implement are brought substantially to the position shown in FIG. 1 and the implement then manipulated so as to bring hooks 7 against messenger M and the conductors C into slots 6. Thereupon the handles are swung downwardly to bring them into alignment with resultant seating of the messenger cable between the jaws 1t and lateral separation of conductors C respectively engaged in slots 6, the axes of the conductors and messenger then substantially defining the corners of an isosceles triangle as in FIG. 2.

The ring or collar which during the preceding movement of the handles is in its lowermost position may now be slid upwardly over the extremity of the handle of member 1 so as to retain the handles in registry and maintain the conductors separated for as long as may be desired. Upon completion of work upon the conductors, the implement may be removed by sliding the ring back to normal position and allowing the members to return substantially to the position of FIG. 1 under the pressure exerted upon them by the conductors preparatory to disengagement of the implement from the latter and subsequent replacement of the lashing wire or other means for maintaining the assembled relation of the conductors and messenger.

It will be recognized that members 1, 2 of the implement herein shown and described can be produced from identically shaped pieces and for convenience in manufacture this is usually preferable but not essential, for implements embodying the invention may be made with the camming surfaces 8 of the respective members of different shapes or with their hooks 7 disposed at different distances from holes 13 in which case the triangle defined by the separated strands may and usually will be other than isosceles, and the members thus may in general assume any desired shapes having proper disposition of hooks and cams.

Furthermore although the implement described is perhaps most suitable for separating the strands of a bundled secondary line such as that to which reference has been made, others may be of size and structure suitable for locally separating high voltage primary conductors, underground cables, and in fact the individuals of any group comprising three elongated sufficiently flexible components.

While I have herein shown and described an implement made from elemental components of specific configuration, it will be understood that configuration was developed empirically and it is not averred it is critical, or that with some other configuration it might not be improved in its operation; the present configuration nevertheless is believed to be the best thus far developed, and hence while I have shown and described it and other aspects of one embodiment of the invention in specific terms I do not desire or intend thereby to be limited or confined in any way, as changes and modifications in the form, structure, arrangement and relationship of the several parts will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be utilized if desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. An implement for locally separating normally proximate parts of elongated elements suspended between spaced supporting structures which comprises a pair of substantially similar oppositely disposed plates each having a leg, a heel and a toe portion and periphery in part defining a hook proximate the toe, a curved surface forming a jaw proximate the heel and a cam surface extending from adjacent the hook to the jaw, means securing the plates together for pivotal movement about a common axis including a pivot interposed between said jaw and the leg, the hooks being engageable respectively with two of said elements when the legs are oppositely directed from the pivot and operable to move them simultaneously divergently outward from each other during movement of the cam surfaces in engagement with the third of said elements while the jaws are being closed into substantial registry and finally to hold the said two elements in spaced relation with said third element resting between the jaws.

2. In an implement of the character described, a plate comprising integral leg and foot portions, the latter including a heel and a toe having an indentation in its edge defining a hook, a projection adjacent the heel forming a jaw and a peripheral edge extending between the hook and the jaw to define a cam surface between them, a substantially similar plate pivoted to and cooperative with the first plate when the respective books have received two of a plurality of elongated objects to effect engagement with the jaws by a third of said objects while moving said third object transversely out of proximity to the others of said objects and the latter out of proximity to each other.

3. An implement for separating normally contacting parts of a plurality of elongated elements comprising complementary pivotally connected plates each having a foot and a leg forming a handle, means on the foot defining a hook adjacent the toe thereof, a jaw adjacent the heel thereof and a cam surface interposed between the hook and the jaw, the hooks on the respective plates extending in opposite directions from the pivotal connection when the jaws are juxtaposed to define an element-receiving seat, the legs of the plates extending substantially in mutual alignment when the jaws are in element-receiving position.

4. An implement as defined in claim 3 in which one of the legs carries means for releasably locking the legs together substantially in such alignment and in which the pivotal connection is disposed with respect to each plate substantially on a line extending from midway between the sides of its leg toward its jaw.

5. An implement for effecting local separation of three associated components of an electrical transmission line which comprises a pair of generally L-shaped flat members of sheet material each having a foot and a leg extending substantially normal thereto, and means securing said members in a pivotal relation such that their feet extend oppositely outward from said means when the legs are in registry, each member having a notch proximate the toe of its foot adapted to receive one of said components and a jaw projecting from the heel of the foot having a curved surface in general alignment with the leg adapted when the legs of the two members are in registry to define with the corresponding jaw on the other member a notch for receiving the third component.

6. An implement for effecting local separation of three associated components of an electrical transmission line which comprises a pair of generally L-shaped flat members of sheet material each having a foot and a leg extending outwardly therefrom, and means securing said members in a pivotal relation such that their feet extend oppositely outward from said means when the legs are in registry, the periphery of each member defining a notch proximate the toe portion of its foot adapted to receive one of said components, a camming surface extending from proximate the notch and terminating in a sharply curved surface defining one face of a jaw projecting from the heel portion of the foot in general alignment with the leg whereby when the members are swung over center about the pivot means from a position in which their legs are in registry to one in which they form an obtuse angle with each other at the axis of said pivot means the notched ends of the members can be inserted between two of said components and the latter then carried into the notches and separated and the third component caused to ride on the camming surfaces and ultimately seat between the jaws by moving the legs over center and into registry.

, 7. An implement for spacing apart and maintaining substantially at the vertices' of a triangle three components associated to form an electrical transmission line, WhlCh comprises two members of dielectric sheet material and means pivoting them together for rotative oscillation, each member having a leg and a foot the latter including a toe portion disposed laterally of the leg having a notch near its outer extremity for engagement with one of the components and a jaw protecting from its heel and generally aligned with the leg adapted to define when proximate the jaw on the other member a notch for reception of the third component, whereby when the legs are swung run to a position in which they extend substantially oppositely from the pivot means and form an obtuse angle thereat the implement may be manipulated to bring two of the components respectively into the notches and then by closing the legs over center and finally into registry said components may be caused to separate and the third component to be brought between the jaws to thereby dispose the components at the vertices of the triangle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,841,364 7/59 Pratt 2541 References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS Stark. Denner. Winebrenner. Sher et a1. Flower. Becker. 

1. AN IMPELEMENT FOR LOCALLY SEPARATING NORMALLY PROXIMATE PARTS OF ELONGATED ELEMENTS SUSPENDED BETWEEN SPACED SUPPORTING STRUCTURES WHICH COMPRISES A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR OPPOSITELY DISPOSED PLATES EACH HAVING A LEG, A HEEL AND A TOE PORTION AND PERIPHERY IN PART DEFINING A HOOK PROXIMATE THE TOE, A CURVED SURFACE FORMING A JAW PROXIMATE THE HEEL AND A CAM SURFACE EXTENDING FROM ADJACENT THE HOOK TO THE JAW, MEANS SECURING THE PLATES TOGETHER FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT A COMMON AXIS INCLUDING A PIVOT INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID JAW AND THE LEG, THE HOOKS BEING ENGAGEABLE RESPECTIVELY WITH TWO 